Air-Flow Dyeing Machine

ABSTRACT

The air-flow dyeing machine utilizes a blower to produce high-pressure jet steam to mix and atomize dyes pumped to a nozzle so that a fabric runs through the nozzle is dyed. The jet steam also helps moving the fabric through a dying channel. The fabric then falls on a transmission device to cycle the fabric through the dyeing process. The present invention provides significantly reduced consumption of water, power, steam, and agent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally related to fabric dyeing machines,and more particular to an air-flow dyeing machine capable of preventingfabrics from having creases during the dyeing process.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

A conventional air-flow dyeing machine contains components such asnozzle, dyeing channel, guiding pulley, blower, dye pump, heatexchanger, filter, etc. A fabric is placed inside the machine body. Theblower pressurizes the air inside the machine into jet steam so as todrive the fabric to move. The dyeing channel provides a passage for thefabric to cycle through so that the fabric is contracted and sprayedwith dyes. The guiding pulley helps the fabric to cycle inside themachine body. The dye pump pressurized the dyes into the heat exchangerto heat up or cool down. The dyes are then atomized by mixing with thejet stream, and sprayed by the nozzle on the fabric.

Compared to liquid-flow dyeing machines which drive the fabric to cycleby dyeing agent and guiding pulley, air-flow dyeing machines drive thefabric to cycle by air and guiding pulley. The former has a larger dyepump whereas the latter has an additional blower. The air-flow dyeingmachines have the advantages of significantly reduced water usage andtherefore agent usage.

However, the air-flow dyeing machines require high-volume andhigh-pressure air-flow, and the blower therefore consumes much morepower than the power consumed by the liquid-flow dyeing machines' agentpump. As such, despite the reduced water usage, air-flow dyeing machinesfail to achieve true environmental friendliness and recued productioncost. In addition, to facilitate fabric's cycling, the air-flow dyeingmachine bodies are usually designed to have a U-like, circular, or shorttubular shape. The fabric therefore is often compressed together andcreases are produced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A major objective of the present invention is to provide an air-flowdyeing machine which, in addition to having a transmission device tomove the fabric, utilizes a blower to produce high-pressure jet steam tomix and atomize dyes pumped to a nozzle so that the atomized dyes caneasily permeate into a fabric runs through the nozzle. The jet steamalso helps moving the fabric through a dying channel. The fabric thenfalls on a transmission device to cycle the fabric through the dyeingprocess. The air-flow dyeing machine provides significantly reducedconsumption of water and power. The fabric cycled by the transmissiondevice is prevented from having creases due to compression during thedyeing process. The production quantity and efficiency are bothenhanced.

The air-flow dyeing machine comprises a machine body, a blower, a pump,and a heat exchanger. The machine body comprises a nozzle, a dyeingchannel, a post guiding device, and a transmission device. The nozzle isconnected to the blower via a high-pressure tube so that a high-pressurejet steam is delivered to the nozzle. The jet steam mixes with andatomizes dyes delivered to the nozzle by the pump. The atomized dyes aresprayed on the fabric running through the nozzle. The jet steam helpsmoving the fabric through the dyeing channel, and the fabric then fallson the transmission device and cycles back to the dyeing channel. Themachine body has a long tubular shape so that the fabric is preventedfrom compression and as such creases.

Preferably, the transmission device is configured inside the machinebody, and there can be one or more transmission devices. Thetransmission device moves the fabric to cycle through the nozzle and thedyeing channel. The power of the jet stream can be effectively reducedas well. In other words, using both the transmission device and thehigh-pressure air-flow as driving source has more environmentalfriendliness, enhanced production, and reduced cost.

Furthermore, using transmission device to move the fabric prevents thefabric from compression and creases.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introductionto the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects ofthe present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detaileddescription of the invention and the claims should be read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specificationand drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similarparts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will becomemanifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to thedetailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which apreferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of thepresent invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION ION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air-flow dyeing machineaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are notintended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of theinvention in any way. Rather, the following description provides aconvenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of theinvention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made inthe function and arrangement of the elements described without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, an air-flow dyeing machine according to anembodiment of the present invention contains a machine body 1, a blower6, a pump 7, a heat exchanger 8, a control box 9, and an agent barrel11. Inside the machine body 1, there is a dyeing channel 12 in an upperportion and a transmission device 2 in a bottom portion. A fabric 3 tobe dyed runs through the dyeing channel 12 and over the transmissiondevice 2. Also in the top portion inside the machine body 1, there are aguiding pulley 4, an idle pulley 41, and a nozzle 5. The nozzle 5 ispiped to the heat exchanger 8 and the pump 7. The pump 7 is also pipedto the agent barrel 11. The nozzle 5 is also connected to the blower 6via a high-pressure tube 61. A fabric examination device 10 isconfigured in an appropriate place inside the machine body 1, and apost-guiding device 13 is configured adjacent to the transmission device2 so as to guide the fabric 3 after it runs through the dyeing channel12 onto the transmission device 2. The dyeing process by the air-flowdyeing machine is controlled by the control box 9. The transmissiondevice 2, depending on requirement, can be a belt-based, a roller-based,or a mesh-based transmission device.

The fabric 3 inside the machine body 1 is delivered through the nozzle 5by the idle pulley 41 and the guiding pulley 4, and then into the dyeingchannel 12. The fabric 3 then falls on the transmission device 2 throughthe post-guiding device 13 and enters a cycling process. During thecycling process, the pump 7 forces dyes and the agent in the agentbarrel 11 out of the nozzle 5 after they run through the heat exchanger8. In the meantime, the blower pressurizes outside air into a jet streamwhich is sent to the nozzle 5 via the high-pressure tube 61. The dyesare then atomized by the jet steam and sprayed onto the fabric 3 by thenozzle 5. The jet steam also drives the fabric 3 to move. The fabric 3is dyed both in the nozzle 5 and in the dyeing channel 12. In addition,as the fabric 3 runs through the dyeing channel 12, the fabricexamination device 10 can detect the fabric 3's cycle time, number ofcycles, and display, record, and output various information and signalsto the control box 9.

After going through the dyeing channel 12 and falling on thetransmission device 2, the fabric 3 is delivered by the transmissiondevice 2 back to the idle pulley 41 and the guiding pulley 4, andre-enters the nozzle 5. The foregoing movement and dyeing process is assuch repeated.

The air-flow dyeing machine according to the present invention has thefollowing advantages.

First, the fabric inside the machine body is driven entirely byhigh-pressure air-flow together with the transmission device withoutusing any water. Therefore, dyes and agents are significantly saved, andpower consumption and waste process cost are highly reduced.

Second, the fabric is supported and moved on the transmission deviceduring the process and the fabric is cycled steadily and smoothly. Thefabric therefore is not scratched, fluffed, or damaged. Furthermore, thefabric is free from problems such as knots, tangles, and pressing.

Third, the machine body has a long tubular shape, and fabrics can beuniformly arranged on the transmission device. The production quantityis increased and the fabrics are free from creases.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intendedto be limited to the details above, since it will be understood thatvarious omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the formsand details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be madeby those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spiritof the present invention.

I claim:
 1. An air-flow dyeing machine, comprising a machine body, ablower, a pump, and a heat exchanger, and the machine body comprising anozzle, a dyeing channel, and a post guiding device, characterized inthat: the machine body further comprises a transmission device; thenozzle is connected to the blower via a high-pressure tube so that ahigh-pressure jet steam is delivered to the nozzle; the jet steam mixeswith and atomizes dyes delivered to the nozzle by the pump; the atomizeddyes are sprayed on the fabric running through the nozzle; the jet steamhelps moving the fabric through the dyeing channel; and the fabric thenfalls on the transmission device and cycles back to the dyeing channel.2. The air-flow dyeing machine according to claim 1, wherein theair-flow dyeing machine further comprises a guiding pulley.
 3. Theair-flow dyeing machine according to claim 1, wherein the transmissiondevice is a belt-type transmission device.
 4. The air-flow dyeingmachine according to claim 1, wherein the transmission device is aroller-type transmission device.
 5. The air-flow dyeing machineaccording to claim 1, wherein the transmission device is a mesh-typetransmission device.